Hi cherrie Ann are you in the mood for a challenge?

How about, you have to have a totally English day.

Us poms have cooked breakfast, so you have to.
You have to have English afternoon tea,
Can you do roast chicken and broccoli?

We promanade, so you have to stroll, taking in the cold English springtime.
And, here is the big one, you have got to talk like either Mary poppins or Eliza Doolittle from my fair lady movies, for the whole day.

You up for it?

Go on, be a crazy English person for a day……..
Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Julia to go.
If you want a Lucia style challenge, …….
You want to join a Pilates class and want to lose 18 pounds, (from your profile)
Go onto you tube and find an introduction to Pilates and build your self up to 18 minutes worth.
So when you go to the paid for classes you know the moves and more importantly so does your body.

Do magic number to aim for is 18 and go through the Pilates window.
Yes a touch of Sesame Street etc,

You going to give it a try?

I dare you!!

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hello there! I would say that everyone is going to be different in the way their BP responds so it’s hard to offer any sound advice other than if you feel a change whilst still taking meds see the doctor but don’t stop taking them. You know your body best and you should be guided by that. I am on 2 drugs daily and have been since my late twenties ( I am 43 now) but have not really noticed any physiological change that I could say is BP related despite losing 16 lbs… But then I don’t monitor my BP regularly except when I visit the nurse!

Izzy, you are off to a great start 🙂 looking forward to reading your diary thread and following your progress 🙂
Fiftyfifty, some people need to start the BSD slowly. There are quite a few who have a practice week or two to ease into it. You might be ready to do the fast800 now and get the full benefits. I’m impressed by you getting off your train early and walking the rest 🙂

Interesting thread!

I’ve been on a cocktail of anti-hypertension meds for over 2 decades, and now my blood sugar is creeping into the red zone. Moving home and changing doctor has brought things into focus, so time to do something.

I had been monitoring my BP for the last week or so, at my GP’s request, as I seem to get “white coat syndrome”. We’ve had an Omron blood pressure gauge for years – get one, they cost so little!

The first day, I took my blood pressure first thing in the morning (before I had taken my meds) and got a reading of around 167/103. Since then, I’ve taken a reading mid-afternoon after taking meds first thing. Readings last week were 145/96 149/93 134/89 126/89 139/91 133/89 137/86

Then I started the 800-cal diet. The following day my BP was 120/84. Today it was 113/79. “Can’t be true”. Checked again later – 107/72. Changed the batteries in the BP gauge – 113/76! Have only lost a couple of pounds at most, so that’s not the reason – it must just be the low-carb diet I guess.

Tomorrow I am going to have to miss out my meds or my BP will plummet – after 2 days! Today I did a “pre-medication” BP check as well, reading was 134/85 which is in the acceptable range anyway.

I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, but I’ve forgotten my meds a few times and not had a problem with missing a day. The key seems to be that you need to keep a daily eye on your blood pressure when you do the 800-cal “full on”. I will be doing that a few times a day for the next few days so that I can come back on the meds as required.

Just the thread I’ve been looking for 🙂 I love getting meal ideas.

I do weigh and add up calories, but have chucked the list away, but today I had:

B- smoothie of coconut water, raw beet & kale, milled flaxseed & cinnamon.
L- apple, celery, red leicester & walnuts. (small but surprisingly filling).
small cappucino
D- courgette ‘lasagne’ with cottage cheese and grated romano instead of bechamel.
Treat- a few ripe strawberries with black pepper and cream. Delicious.

She is a lovely neighbour and I blame the packaging, because it looked like a healthy option.

Day 61 weight 10st 4lbs
Blood sugar 9.8

Really tired again today, have spent a few days at Mum’s washing, drying and looking after her. Took my shakes with me. Hoping this will help with my weight / blood sugar levels tomorrow.

Going out tomorrow night, so going to be really good during the day and going to order my meal carefully – I’m thinking steak and salad would be a safe option.

Fantastic very grateful for this list I shall copy and paste this into my collection
Alan

Well Lucia, you are certainly back to your normal self after scaring us all the other week 🙂 love it, love your posts. Just what I needed this morning. Woke up too early on a cold dark Aussie Autumn day. Started to read the posts on here and got a good dose of Lucia sunshine and silliness to brighten my day!
Now I’m off to try and reason with my 9 year old boy who is having a wonderful time in his room making very loud car crash noises and talking to himself. He’s having fun but the other kids aren’t going to be impressed if he wakes them up too.

80.0 kg
That’s three down from Monday, and what is more, a move off a looong plateau.
Woo hooo. Don’t quite believe it.
5 more kilos to go and I will be in the weight range that the riding schools allow on their horses, which will be fantastic. Then I’ll I just need to earn some money to pay for lessons ha ha.

Hi Fluffly Slippers,
well done on your weight lose so far,
I find the alcohol thing hard as well, I am still having a few drinks but have switched from wine to scotch & diet ginger ale,
I was surprised at how quickly I lost my hunger, my weight is fluctuating but it is heading in the right direction.
We have a 9 days holiday on the Sunshine Coast in August so the goal is to lose 10 kg and if I have to do the 800 till then so be it 🙂
Have a lovely long weekend, I have a couple of long walks and gym sessions planned

My goodness you are putting me to shame with all these exercise challenges since I have well and truly fallen off the exercise wagon these last 2 weeks. So planning on a 5k run tomorrow – the last few days I haven’t had the excuse of the appalling recent weather as it was lovely yesterday and today. Tomorrow no office (thankfully) so I will delay working in the garden until I have DONE THAT RUN. My fitness pal friends will see when I have really done it as it posts automatically there because I have the Runkeeper app synced to MFP.
Lucia – not sure how to make this into a ‘Lucia-style challenge’?! A bit scared you will want me talking to the trees or running sideways or something!

Hi Lucia
Can I please have lovely sparkly bracelet instead? Pretty please!!!!!?
Christine

Hi everyone, I can also report that I’ve had no acid reflux since commencing BSD. It’s interesting because I had previously thought that eating fat was the trigger for the reflux. I’m now thinking it could have been the starchy carbs that I was eating with the fat. Since starting the BSD I’ve eaten very little bread, but found a local (12 kms away) bakery that makes rye and sunflower seed bread. I’ve only had 1 slice with soup and no reflux.(Food for thought!)

Lucia,
Yes ma’am

Come on polly,
We need facts, we need data, data data.
You can do it, just have fun with it.

Your meal sound yummy..

I am doing something strange with eggs on Saturday , haven’t created it yet.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Christie 1948,

What are you going for, studs or a nice drop earring. Drops are supposed to make faces thinner. And compliment the jaw line.

I can see you now, looking smart and sophisticated in them.

Go girl, go!!!!

love lucia
Xxxxx

Eeek at 266.66666 – I’m not sure how many calories I’m eating – I don’t think myfitnesspal is wired the same as the recipes cos they say one number and myfitnesspal says another number. It’s still a bit confusing.

I had a 2 egg omelette with pork loin, cheese and a little spring onion and then a stir fry rice dish with my new discovery of bare naked rice.

Lots of veg and an egg chucked in for good measure 😀

Yum!!!

x

Hi string breaker.

Okay, do I have to use a lamp and soft cushions on you?
We have ways of making you diet!

Look, you know you ate the wrong things, that you have gone daft. Now put yourself in a brown paper bag and give yourself a good shake.
Scarlet, tomorrow is another day.

Regroup, focus, visualise yourself in the Lycra. Because if you eat daft things again this week, you will be made to wear the outfit.

Now, egg and bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes for breakfast.

Fish or chicken and a large dollop of veg for tea.

Focus. 😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Cheers guys :)… you’re so right about the weight going overnight Bill, it seems like some sort of conjuring trick!

Hi Lucia
Sounds interesting? Give me some time to think about the challenge!!!! Time has elapsed! Mmmmm, what to do?
Ok will do🙂👍
Christine

Lucia,
Wouldn’t swap my “Brompton” for anything but am jealous of your bell.
John

Thanks Cherrianne – that’s good to know. I love pecans!

hi rachel62
🙂👍
Christine

Lucia,

I have to confess I’ve TOTALLY fallen off the wagon tonight.

Stuck in a hotel.

3 pints of “Doom Bar” (but in perfect condition)

Packet of dry roast nuts

Minestrone soup (WITH ROLAND BUTTER!) 🙄

Seafood Lasagne with spuds (odd pairing)

Bit over the 800

Back on the treadmill tomorrow. Promise.

John

I know we are on low carbs, but perhaps the person on the radio was talking about a different VLCD?

Hi string breaker, in your honour, I will get my bike out again this weekend,
You will be jealous, it has a basket.
And I ring my bell with attitude!!!!!!!
I usually use it to get to the shops quicker.
Oh and something else for you to be jealous about. I have Velcro bike clips, in fluorecent green. Yummy.
And a helmet in black and grey, but as it upsets my long loose hair, I put a scarf on first before my helmet.

Yep, I am a sight for sore eyes, or should I say eye sore……

Love luciaXxxx

Hi stringbreaker
Thanks John, cheers
Christine

An inexpensive treadmill is safer c£139.99 on auction sites – mine is brilliant, also exercise bikes under £100

Food Component DV
Total Fat 65 grams (g)
Saturated Fat 20 g
Cholesterol 300 milligrams (mg)
Sodium 2,400 mg
Potassium 3,500 mg
Total Carbohydrate 300 g
Dietary Fiber 25 g
Protein 50 g
Vitamin A 5,000 International Units (IU)
Vitamin C 60 mg
Calcium 1,000 mg
Iron 18 mg
Vitamin D 400 IU
Vitamin E 30 IU
Vitamin K 80 micrograms µg
Thiamin 1.5 mg
Riboflavin 1.7 mg
Niacin 20 mg
Vitamin B6 2 mg
Folate 400 µg
Vitamin B12 6 µg
Biotin 300 µg
Pantothenic acid 10 mg
Phosphorus 1,000 mg
Iodine 150 µg
Magnesium 400 mg
Zinc 15 mg
Selenium 70 µg
Copper 2 mg
Manganese 2 mg
Chromium 120 µg
Molybdenum 75 µg
Chloride 3,400 mg

Lucia,
I’ll report my walks each morning.
John

We are not on low fat diets, just low carbs…

Me noisy, I think you have the wrong person,
I am so shy and retiring. So demure, so full of it.

Ha.

Keep in touch, I love attracting crazy people to blog here……..😁😠😞😘😄😫🙃😠🙃🤗😗🙁😗😫🙃😣
Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi string breaker.

Yes I will gladly accept your offer of fast walking, please do it with a smile on your face. Now if you say that is more effort Lucia. I will reply it takes less muscles to smile that’s to frown, so it is no effort.

Don’t rush to Ivor cutlers tune, it is without umph.

My hubby was in the church choir, then in male voice choirs travelling around.

Then he married me, I am tone deaf, can’t remember the tune, don’t know the words, or I forget what tune I am singing and then blend in another one all together,…….but when we are in the car together , I put the wireless on and sing at the top of my voice….. Just for him, boy do I spoil him…….
He appreciates getting to our destination, he seems to fall out of the car quickly and rushes to get to the door. I wonder why.

Hope to hear from you of how you have got on with your task I, now that you have accepted it.

Da did da la, da did da la,… 🎶🎶🎶🎶da da 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 sorry, I’m off to sing the mission impossible tune……🚴🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🚴🚴🚴🎶🎶🎶🎶🚴🚴🎶🎶🚴

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Rachel, I started by following some of the recipes in the book during the first week just to get a feel for the diet. There is nothing magical about the recipes – you just need to keep your calories at 800 and your carbs at 50g or below. So you can have curry – without the rice etc

I live on my own so I have to be a bit canny so as not to waste food. I grill all 6 slices of bacon in a packet then I will have 2 with tomatoes for breakfast, the next day I might have lettuce cups with bacon and avocado and the day after bacon crumbled over courgetti or salad

Hope that helps 🙂

Whatever you do, don’t be quiet.

Hi Kwench, when restricting carbs and calories, in particular sugars, honesty is key. Many spouses diet together while one or other snacks as well. If you significantly reduce your carbs intake your body mass will definitely reduce. Simples!

“OGINC”
Old git in normal clothing.
😎

Barby, did you spot the seeds ‘fried’ in Tamari that Cherrieanne mentioned the other day – sunflower seeds of pumpkin seeds – dry roast slightly, then add Tamari Sauce to them – they caramelise and all stick together. Once cool – separate and store – lovely snack!

That was 156 mins on the bike
(I ride slowly)
John

Hi string breaker,
Your profile says you are a. Oginc. So I googled it, so you are in oil and gas consultancy, great, any share tips?🤓
Not a mamil. I googled that and it says not a middle aged man in Lycra.

So now I have a vision of you at a computer, with banks of computer screens, you shouting. BUY BUY BUY. SELL SELL SELL, wearing a pair of budgie smugglers.

I am sorry, but I have a brain that’s wired differently from normal people.

Sorry, I will go and sit in the corner and be quiet.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Barby – it is an actual burger. I found it in the health food shop – made by dragonfly. It is quite high carbs so needs to be planned in carefully or you blow the days budget easily. I enjoyed it – they come in a pack of two, I had the other one on Monday evening. I will definitely get them again as a backup to have in the fridge.

Lucia,
WOW!
I do ride a bike but WILL NOT wear Lycra (burnt 900kCals today on the bike)
Don’t think I could work out that many 88kCal snacks.
Don’t think I’ve heard of Mr Cutler

SO!

Would you settle for 36mins fast walking (can I do it in the morning?)

BTW – well done for knowing your keyboard – do you play?

John.

Oh string breaker.

I LOVE your request.

Now let me see, 52 white keys and 36 black keys = 88 keys.

How about you have to walk for either 52 minutes or walk quickly for 36 minutes of an evening. But make sure you breathe, as I usually hold my breath.

9 X 88 = 792

How about you concocting nine snacks of 88 calories. You don’t have to eat all 9 in a day, but as it is so close to 800 you could do.

How about you hop, or skip, or wiggle, or dance for the duration of the song called the piano tuner song 2000 ad by Ivor cutler. I think it is one minute 18 seconds, just be careful.

🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴
What else, oh you are a cyclist.

If you don’t cycle now, how about giving it a go? Round the block, just do it.
If you cycle now, how about cycling for 36 or 88 minutes?

Oh and then there is Lycra……… But this is a family show.😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Hope you find a piece of crazy inspiration in all the above.

Let me know if you do any of it, just for fun.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

thanks for the welcome and the info 🙂

By Tuesday I had my glucose test kit and had finished the book, so I’m already on day 3 and managing much better than I thought I would. 800 calories isn’t nearly as difficult as I thought but it is hard not to eat the crap in between. So far so Good. I think I will start a diary thread and I’ve also added a recipe too. I’m surprising myself by thinking of lots I can actually cook. I’m making soup for my meal tonight with lentils, butterbeans and onion.

Fiftyfifty I absolutely love my fitbit I’m so glad I bought it! It seemed an extravagance but the food diary part of it is proving really useful, as well as logging water etc and steps. The sleep part of it is interesting too. As for the buzz when I hit 10000 steps… well that makes me jump every time haha, but it does feel great to have made it (every day this week so far)

I guess I’ll be here for a while so looking forward to getting to know you all.

Hi Barby – just increase your step count by 10% each week and you will soon see a difference to your stamina. If you live in a house with stairs, walk up and down the stairs once before each meal – even if you don’t need to. You will feel yourself getting less breathless and speeding, then increase it to two stair climbs before each meal. These little changes all help.
The other thing to look at is how sedentary you are. If you are sitting a lot through the day – then make sure you set a timer for every 30 mins and get up and walk tor a few minutes. That is one of the tips in MM’s book.
Keep smiling – things will change for you!

Marcus, that’s an amazing result for just two weeks! 🙂

Hi the polls ,
You brought up a couple of points, maybe not next to a bacon slicer, how about that weird belt that freezes your fat, I am all for it. Once it is frozen I presume you snap it of like an icicle.

I think we should all March to parliament and have them pass a bill, that forces the sellers and manufacturers to be held accountable for the weight of each person on their scales. Ha! How Do you like those apples.

Third, how interesting, three meals, how are you going to find three meals at exactly 266.666666 calories, wow, what a girl. Do let me know how you get on. In the merchant of Venice…. No more, no less…..
Come on, give it a try, let me know the crazy stuff you did to hit the exact figure of 266.66666666 calories.
Keep going, keep losing, just KEEP ON!
Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi thepolly, what a good job you did start this diet!
Have you tried the dips or salads? It does get boring eating the same stuff all the time, I sympathize about a full freezer – I have a similar problem with my small freezer 🙂

Lucia,
Do you have a “challenge” for blokes?
I’m in need of one.
John